All about the restand not only

How can i not love you, Edinburgh?

Scotland is a country of misty mountains, mysterious castles, colorful costumes and singing bagpipes. It captures the gaze when you meet friendly people, fresh air and unique architecture. Oh yes, houses in the cities of Scotland are just a fairy tale! It seems that you have got into the country, about which told Mommy before going to bed, saying: “They live in peace, kindness, joy and love. There’s no one who takes no offense at all understand each other.”

In this country the wild frontier with an unusual culture. Sad and beautiful mountains, passing into the hills and heather wave, covered in mist. River frantic leaps fall from the top and work your way to the mysterious cliffs.

Scotland is one of the few small countries (not even a state), which is known not for everyone and not everyone. But what do we know about her? I recall the romantic legend of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns’ poetry and Robert Louis Stevenson. The Picts, who mysteriously disappeared, heather honey, mountain clans, kilts, bagpipes, wild landscapes. If you take the Scottish theme film and television – ”immortal” Highlanders Connor and Duncan MacLeod, “Braveheart” William Wallace. Of course, once there and fight for freedom against England – the age-old historical rival. This is Captain Grant, father of Jules Verne’s heroes, who was looking for a place to the Scots could settle on the loose. But what do we really know about this country, if you do not remember the usual cliches? Almost nothing.

“Scotland has the following parts: Highlands in the north (including the Grampians) in the center – Lowlands, including the valley of the Clyde and Forth, where the majority of the population and is the main industrial area, Southern Uplands (plus Lammermuir and Hills), the islands of Orkney, Shetland and Vestern. The largest city of this mysterious country – Glasgow, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen, and the capital of Scotland – Edinburgh. The most common language – English, Gaelic is spoken by about 1.3% of the population (mainly in the Highlands). Religion: Presbyterian (“Church of Scotland”) and Catholicism” – such meager data provides the largest online encyclopedia” Wikipedia “.

Of course, talking about the album (the name sounds like that of the country in Gaelic) can be forever, but without some specifics. But Scotland must be felt, and this will not help a thorough knowledge of the institutions of this country, or a thorough study of its geographic map – worth at least once to get to the land.

Edinburgh – the heart and soul of Scotland

Edinburgh is a very romantic city, especially at night when you climb up the narrow streets, lined pavement, holding the whole world, and his eyes were bright gleam of something eternal and unforgettable. Edinburgh is the city of love, no, not Paris, according to all that is Edinburgh, it’s impossible to not fall in love with someone who will just wander through the evening streets and think about eternity… It is somewhat similar to Kiev, more precisely, Andrew’s descent – you can breathe the fresh air on its hills, drinking strong black coffee in a small cafe on the Royal Mile.

The capital of Scotland is based more in the X-XI centuries, received its name from Edwin. They say that Edinburgh has grown on the volcano. It is said that at night is a city becomes the most mystical place on earth. They say that under Edinburgh is another city full of ghosts. It is said that this is the festival city in the world. Oddly enough, but it’s true! On Edinburgh many “talk”, but it is better to see once than hear a hundred times.

Edinburgh is presented to tourists in different images – everything will depend on which side of the visitor will enter the city. Perhaps, at first he will see Edinburgh Castle, which overlooks the hills for thousands of years and has become a symbol of Scotland’s capital city, perhaps it would be “Arthur’s Seat” in the center of the royal Holyrood Park, and possibly a tourist charm horizon, dotted with split-level roofs of various shapes and sizes in the form of steps with pipes, domes, towers and spiers of the Gothic bell towers. Business card can be a simple resident in a kilt who walks the narrow and dark medieval streets of the Old Town, or the spacious boulevards of the New.

Royal Mile – not just for kings

Before John Nash designed Regent Street in London, and Baron Haussmann designed boulevards in Paris, Edinburgh High Street (one of the four streets that make up the Royal Mile) was considered a matchless among all the streets of Europe.

Addicted to this street for two reasons. First, it is very wide of the medieval standards (especially next to the adjacent narrow Castle Hill and Canongate), secondly, it built along the building are unusually high. For the construction of eight- and nine-storey buildings even used the slope of Castle Hill: House seems to be “high-rise” only from the street. People from all possible walks of life lived under the same roof and climbed the same ladder, but to live on the lower floors then considered noble. Daniel Defoe said that “in any city in the world does not live such a large number of people taking up so little space in Edinburgh.”

If you start a tour of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle, is to enjoy the stunning views of the city from the top of the cliff and then descend towards the Holyrood House. You unwittingly become a witness of the centuries-old history of the city, where the monuments of the XV century. cohabit in harmony with the buildings much later period, for example, by the City Council. Most were built adjacent to the top of the Royal Mile alleys that turned into a dungeon and is rumored to have become the house of ghosts.

Holyrood: a fairy tale or reality?

The highest point of Edinburgh – the top of the volcano, which erupted more than 350 million years ago, this point is called the “Arthur’s Seat” – a place that attracts all tourists, because there you can admire the beauty of the Scottish capital, and just walk through one of the largest urban parks in Europe – Holyrood. In the park there are fields, lakes, rocky cliffs and forested hills – a typical example of the Scottish landscape. Its territory is the palace of Holyrood House – the official residence of the Queen during their stay in Scotland.

“The Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse – a monument of architecture that is worth seeing every tourist. Holyrood Castle began to build in 1498. Legend has it that the son of Queen Margaret, St. David I, bypassing the ban went hunting on Sunday and nearly died, he met with a deer. Fortunately, he was saved by Holy Cross (Holyrood). In honor of the miraculous rescue of Holyrood Abbey was built, and later – the castle” – enthusiastically tells tourist Ruzhilo Ilona.

In Holyrood Castle for most of her life lived Mary Steward, and in 1745, the British Prince Charlie gave a ball in honor of the capture of Edinburgh. Now the palace is a museum, which adorn the more than 100 portraits of Scottish kings, painted in 1684-1686. Jacob de Wit, as well as antique furniture and decorations.

Mysteries of Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle, on a cliff 113 m in length (the remainder a long extinct volcano). According to historical records, there is a castle in the XI, but the first buildings appeared in the VI. One of the oldest buildings – the Chapel of St. Margaret, queen, wife of King Malcolm of Scotland III, who died at Edinburgh Castle in 1093, the castle was constantly reinforced and expanded, until 1927, when it was installed War Memorial dedicated to the Scots who died in the First World war.

Edinburgh Castle – not only the royal residence, but the fortification. This is a constant reminder devoid of ornaments and other architectural excesses, but outstanding in its power bastions, forts walls installed on them old military guns. One of the guns used regularly for traditional volleys at noon. On the military history of the castle tells part of the exhibition in the premises of the barracks, the hospital, the casemates. Edinburgh Castle is the protection of the Scots Guards company.

Galina Vinogradova, employee travel company “SV-Tour” is not the first carries of pupils and students in Edinburgh. He says that all the happy trip. “Every year we visit this mysterious country and each time there is something new to notice. All surprised the national symbols of Scotland, traditional clothing, culture, way of life. Scotland – a country full of surprises: here people play bagpipes, the national flower – burdock, here women dance reel, and the men do not wear underwear under the kilt.”

Edinburgh as a cultural center

Edinburgh is a city of museums, satisfying the most demanding tastes of lovers of classical and contemporary art, as well as stories. National Gallery of Scotland – the oldest art museum where the paintings of famous European artists, including Rembrandt, Monet, Gauguin, Rubens, Cezanne and others. Writers Museum dedicated to the life and works of the great Scottish writers, including well-known throughout the world of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Burns. The Gallery of Modern Art is a huge collection of a wide variety of works of human creativity. There is even a gallery, which contains only the portraits of Scottish heroes, poets, rulers, and other famous personalities. Very interesting and unusual museum of childhood, where you can see the toys, probably from around the world.

It is held annually in Edinburgh to ten major international festivals devoted to various spheres of human activity, such as Festival of Arts, Science, jazz and blues, interactive entertainment, book and movie festivals. The history of some of the activities has several decades.

The feeling is that Edinburgh is impossible to accurately convey. But if somewhere in the corner of the house next door hear a clatter of hoofs, and then look out the horseman with a sword at his belt, and in typical attire – do not be surprised, but think of it as a perfectly normal occurrence. It’s just the spirit of the city, which does not change the XXI century civilization. with its high-rise buildings of concrete and glass, people who are always somewhere in a hurry and traffic jams. Edinburgh is a city of antiquity and freedom, kings and mountaineers, it is the true face of Scotland itself. Do not think that there are no modern luxury stores and cafes, or new buildings. But the old and the new are intertwined somehow incomprehensible in this amazing city, and throughout the country.